The Rise of Ning Episode 37 Recap
> The Rise of Ning Recap
The Duke received an imperial edict to go to the front lines. Before departing, he called Luo Yining to his side, asking her to take good care of her grandmother and the family while he was away. Luo Yining agreed, preparing some items that her father might need in battle, including medicinal balm and a protective amulet she had obtained from a temple. In the past, whenever he received an edict, he would quickly head to the front without hesitation.
However, this time, he felt reluctant. When the elderly Madam Han noticed something unusual and questioned him, the Duke admitted that now, with a daughter, he no longer wished to go to war. In order to gain Wang Yuan’s full trust, Luo Shenyuan began frequently bribing him. On one occasion, he brought a box of jewels and fine wine and, after drinking, fell asleep at the table.
Wang Yuan had him taken to a guest room to rest and instructed his servants to keep a close eye on him. In the middle of the night, Luo Shenyuan quietly changed into dark clothes and snuck into Wang Yuan’s study, searching for evidence. Suddenly, he heard footsteps and realized Wang Yuan was approaching. Luo Shenyuan quickly climbed onto the roof, where he saw a soldier hastily delivering a letter and an official seal to Wang Yuan.
After reading the letter, Wang Yuan immediately burned it. Luo Shenyuan, watching from the roof, memorized the letter’s contents and the design of the seal, later instructing his men to forge it. News soon came from the front: the Duke’s forces were trapped by the enemy, with half of the twenty-thousand-strong army either dead or wounded. Due to a violent storm on the battlefield, the Duke’s body was missing.
Upon hearing this, Wang Yuan was informed by his men that although the body hadn’t been found, the Duke was surely dead. Taking advantage of the Emperor's unclear grasp of the situation, Wang Yuan framed the Duke as a traitor and prepared to confiscate the entire Duke’s household. When Lu Jiaxue heard the news, he immediately rushed to the Duke's residence to take Luo Yining and the elderly madam to safety. However, Luo Yining refused.
As the Duke’s legitimate daughter, she would not flee and disgrace her father’s name. Resolute, she remained in the residence, while the elderly Madam Han quickly went to the palace to appeal to the Empress Dowager. As Wang Yuan’s men arrived at the Duke’s gates, Luo Yining bravely stepped outside to face the armed guards. Zhao Mingzhu called for Lu Jiaxue, who, determined to protect Luo Yining, prepared to confront Wang Yuan, even if it meant an open conflict.
Wang Yuan then ordered Luo Shenyuan to resolve the situation. With sword in hand, Luo Shenyuan commanded Luo Yining to open the door and submit to the confiscation. Lu Jiaxue, in response, drew his sword against Luo Shenyuan, ready to fight to the death if he took a single step forward. The situation was incredibly tense when, at that moment, an imperial decree arrived.
Luo Shenyuan presented all the evidence he had gathered on Wang Yuan’s smuggling and treasonous activities to the authorities, leading the Emperor to issue a decree condemning Wang Yuan. Wang Yuan, full of regret, realized too late that the person he had thought was his loyal subordinate was actually an undercover agent all along.
Before being taken to prison, Wang Yuan hinted to Lu Jiaxue that he still held something incriminating against him and advised him to think carefully about his allegiances.
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